Blood, Sweat, and Dust
by GreaseMonkey01
Summary: Join Kane Chrysos and the rest of team KLWD as they train at Beacon Academy in hopes of becoming huntsmen and huntresses. runs mostly parallel with the canon story. takes place during the events of the show. Rated M for violence, coarse language, adult humor, and mildly suggestive themes.
1. Chapter 1: Beginnings

Chapter 1: Beginnings

The dojo echoed with the sounds of two skilled combatants sparring; one old, one young. With the loud sound of a body hitting the mat-covered floor, the younger fighter groaned; Opening scarlet-colored eyes, he looked up into the smugly grinning face of his wrinkled opponent. "Come, get up, Kane", the old man chuckled, "Or have you forgotten our bet?" Kane got up off the ground, running a hand through shaggy blonde hair, "No, Master Zhen, I have not forgotten." The wager in question was that Kane couldn't pin the old man, his teacher, to the mat within half an hour; should he prove the experienced martial artist wrong dinner would be on him, if not then Kane would be buying. The clock ticked down as they got in position, knees bent, arms at the ready. Teacher and student lunged at each other, punches and kicks executed with practised precision, blocking and dodging all the while. Zhen feigned a strike to Kane's face, and swept the young man's legs out from under him when he blocked. A buzzer signalled the time was up, Kane had lost; not that he realistically expected to win, his instructor had many years of experience over him. "A deal's a deal" he sighed, accepting the hand offered to him by Master Zhen.

After changing back into their civilian clothes, the two men left for a popular restaurant down the street. This was not the first time that this had happened, so he was lucky that his father was so generous, and had a good sense of humor about these things. "Hey Dad! table for two!" he called into the eatery his father owned; if this isn't going to cost the old man a cent, then it might as well not cost him anything either he figured. Kane's father, a rotund blonde Mystrali man by the name of Dimitri, made his way over to the pair and greeted his son with a bone crushing hug. "Kane, my boy", his father's Mystrali accent tugging at his words, "And good evening to you as well, Zhen." Smiling, Zhen returned the warm greeting. Realising he was still affectionately crushing poor Kane, he let the boy go and lead the two men over to an empty table. No menus were needed, despite the abundance of options contained therein, they ordered their usual, and favorite, choices; Chicken stir-fry served on rice and made with fresh veggies and a teriyaki sauce made in house for Zhen, Kane opted for the chicken fettuccini alfredo with grated parmesan and sauce that was also made in house. The men chatted with Kane's father until another group of hungry customers stepped through the door, Dimitri welcomed them like old friends, a smile on his face and warmth in his voice. Kane smiled, watching his father work always brought a smile to his face; His father treated everyone like old friends, the man liked people of all kinds, this included the oft shunned Faunus. Hot food being set down in front of him by a cute waitress caught his attention, pulling him back up from the ocean of thoughts swirling in his mind.

Finishing their meal, Kane shook his head, "I can't believe I'll be at Beacon by the end of next week…" he sighed happily. When he looked up, Master Zhen was smiling, pride in his student plain for all to see, "I'm very proud of you, Kane, you are one of only a few students of mine who have gone to use the skills I taught them for more than seeking fortune and fame. The last one was… many years ago, a man by the name of Taiyang; perhaps you've heard of him?" Kane chuckled, His teacher is proud of all his students, and you were in fact acquainted with this one in particular. Taiyang had been a teacher of yours while you were enrolled at Signal Academy; the hunter's skill was impressive, and he was without a doubt the source of his daughter's own natural abilities.

Opening his mouth to reply, he stopped as the door opened by a familiar woman with strawberry-blonde hair and eyes of scarlet. She spoke with Dimitri in hushed tones, before her face lit up like a christmas tree and she hurriedly made her way over, smiling ear-to-ear. "Hey Mom" was all he could manage before he was wrapped in another hug by his mother who immediately began talking excitedly. "Oh my goodness, your father just told me the news, I'm so proud! My little boy, going to Beacon, I almost can't believe it, I think I might be more excited about this than you." Her usual calm and somewhat serious demeanor gone at receiving this latest news. The acrid smell of gunpowder, weapon oil, and burnt metal clung to her; evidently she had just gotten off work from her job as Signal Academy's resident Weaponsmith, and "Principles of Weapon Design" teacher. Noticing Kane's exaggerated look of mock disgust, she let him go, rolling her eyes, and smiling all the while.

It was late when Kane showed Master Zhen to the door, the mutually respected fighters and friends bidding each other good night. Closing the door and turning the lock, he smiled as a thought crossed his mind, _I wonder if he noticed that I wasn't using my semblance during our sparring?_ Kane's was something rather unique; he could predict his opponents next move during a fight, so long as he could see them. If blinded or being attacked from a blind spot, he can still sense an incoming strike, but only the direction; front, back, left, or right. Kane hadn't used this ability of his during his fight with the old man, knowing that even if he did, all he would accomplish would be to draw out the match.

Heading into his family's home behind the restaurant, he headed for his bedroom. Kane sat upon the carpeted floor, lights off, and The Achieve Men's newest album playing on his headphones. He crossed his legs, closed his eyes, and placed his hands on his knees; beginning his nightly meditation, as taught by Zhen. This was a habit formed many years ago, before starting at Signal, the practise helped to clear his mind and relax his body before the end of the day. When his eyes opened again, he was calm, the whirling vortex of thoughts usually occupying his mind was gone, leaving behind nothing but peace. He finished his nightly routine with a quick shower, before donning PJ's and diving into welcoming sheets of his soft bed. There was much to be done in the next two weeks, better to rest now while he still had the chance. _Summer can't end fast enough_ was his last thought before he succumbed to sleep, dreams taking the place of conscious thought.

 **A/N: Thanks for reading, let me know what you think, more will come regardless of general opinion.**


	2. Chapter 2: First Impressions

Chapter 2: First Impressions

Summary: Some of the team meet for the first time, rather comically in some ways.

Two weeks and a few farewells later, Kane was on board the massive vessel that was carrying himself and about one hundred other young huntsmen and huntresses to Beacon Academy on the outskirts of Vale. Preoccupied with the view from the ship's windows as he was, he didn't notice the quiet girl walk over to him. He jumped a little when she said "Hi" in a quiet voice. Turning to face the familiar voice, he found himself looking at one of his classmates from Signal. She was a kind and soft-spoken deer Faunus by the name of Luna Pines, her body was slender, and stood half a head shorter than him. Looking up at him slightly with eyes the color of honey, she pushed a lock of her Pine-green hair out of her face and giggled; taking some sort of sadistic amusement from startling him, he could feel his skin becoming hot from embarrassment.

"Hey Luna, I hadn't realized that you were going to Beacon too" he replied, returning the smile. Her response came in the form of an excited nod, green hair bouncing, "Yep," her voice was filled with pride, "I got my acceptance letter a week ago, Mom and Dad were so happy for me." Before I could properly reply, a middle-aged blonde woman in business attire was starting to be projected onto a nearby screen, her voice being pumped in through the ship's intercom system. We all turned to watch the screen, the new sight being much more interesting than the news broadcast that had been playing previously.

"Hello, and welcome to Beacon!" started the woman, she paused before continuing. "You are among a privileged few who have received the honor of being selected to attending this prestigious academy! Our world is experiencing an incredible time of peace, and as future Huntsman and Huntresses, it is your duty to uphold it. You have demonstrated the courage needed for such a task, and now, it is our turn to provide you with the knowledge and training to protect our world." With that, the screens cleared and the audio cut out, the broadcast apparently having come to an end.

The ship docked not too much later, and students began disembarking excitedly; everyone eager to get a look at the legendary Academy. Kane and Luna managed to get separated somehow in the rush, and he only realized the shy faunus was nowhere to be found after spending a few minutes chatting to Yang Xiao Long and their friends from Signal. Kane wasn't super concerned, the girl could take care of herself and wasn't one to get herself into trouble. As he scanned looking for his friend, he saw a bullhead with a strange banner flying behind it land at the school, a second one with a slightly different banner landed next to the first.

A strong hand pushed silver bangs out of eyes the color of pine needles, before adjusting a slate-grey vest. William began to frown, before remembering that Ozpin had promised that paparazzi were not permitted on school grounds. The knowledge made him relax slightly, but he maintained a vague mask of stoicism. "ETA: five minutes, Mr Slate" called the bullhead pilot from the cabin. Making his way up front, he looked out the windscreen and gazed upon Vale, his eyes being drawn to the towering academy on the edge of town. A flash of pure-white caught his eye, and turned to find its source to be another bullhead, flying the Schnee family banner proudly. His brief confusion dispelled as he remembered hearing rumors that Weiss Schnee had also applied to Beacon for training. Apparently, they were more than just rumors, he thought with a chuckle; two of Atlas' richest families had students attending Beacon together, this would only end in trouble.

The bullhead touched down and the ramp lowered, allowing William to exit the shuttle. He carried a trunk on one muscular shoulder, and pulled a larger wheeled suitcase behind him with the opposite hand as he stepped out into the light of day; stopping a moment to adjust how his proud weapons, a sword and shield named "Krieg" and "Frieden", hung from their place on his back. He glanced to his left and grimaced out of pity for the attendants who were removing the Schnee Heiress' bags from her own shuttle, the girl had brought half her wardrobe with her it would seem. Stepping down onto the landing platform, he made his way towards the school, having no strong desire to converse with the dozens of students milling about the plaza.

Where did he go? the faunus wondered to herself as she walked through the crowded courtyard. A brief glimpse of scarlet drew her attention just long enough to collide with something large, solid, and silver colored. She fell to the ground with a squeak in surprise, there was the sound of luggage hitting the ground and metal clanged against concrete. "Oof! hey, you alright?" asked a gruff voice, a touch of concern in its tone. She looked up at who she had bumped into, eyes of honey meeting ones of dark green, "S-sorry" she stammered. The muscular man standing before her towered over here at 6'3", grey sleeves rolled up over impressive biceps. A strong hand helped her to her feet, his smile was kind, "It's quite alright, but you'd do well to watch where you're going miss," he chuckled, "some people wouldn't be nearly as polite about this." As if to prove his point, a shrill voice cried out in surprise as a red blur knocked the Schnee heiress off of her feet, dust vials scattering. Weiss began to verbally abuse the offending party; a girl who seemed much younger who was clad in crimson and black.

Luna frowned and returned her attention helping the stranger pick up their belongings, including a sword and a beautifully engraved shield. He spoke, introducing himself and dispelling the silence that threatened to overwhelm them, "Thanks for your help. The name's William Slate." She looked up at him again, thinking Oh no, he's hot, only now noticing how handsome he was; silver bangs framed a chiseled jaw, his face rugged but attractive. She felt the familiar chill run up her spine and a blush threatened to stain her cheeks, his rugged good-looks struck just the right chords in her mind. He chuckled, and the aforementioned blush quickly spread across her face as she realized she had been starring. "O-oh, s-sorry," she said shakily before regaining her composure, "I'm Luna Pines, it's nice to meet you William." Another pleasant smile, "The pleasure is all mine, Luna; and please, call me Will." She nodded in response, "u-uh, I need to go, it was good meeting you, Will!" she stated before hurrying away with her bags in tow, not waiting for a response.

Will tried not to laugh at how flustered she was as she scurried off; he paused as he noticed the fluffy white and brown tail protruding from her lower back. A faunus? I see. Well, at least she's cute. he mused to himself before continuing on his way to the school.

Later that evening…

Kane finished his evening meditation and rose, stretching to rid himself of the last little bit of tension in his muscles. The meditation helped, but was less effective when the floor under him was so hard and unyielding. He began wandering around the large room they had been given to sleep in that evening, stopping to ask other first years about their weapons should they have them out. The martial artist had an interest in weapon designs that he got from his mother, he loved how they looked and how they functioned, and there was no short supply of awesome, elegant, and lethal weapons at Beacon. He saw several blades, rifles, a few hand to hand combat weapons, and of course mixtures of those in high numbers. Several caught his eye; the first belonged to a lanky blonde by the name of Jaune Arc, his weapon was nothing more than a sword whose sheathe was also a shield, but he adored the simplicity of it. The next belonged to a muscular man with silver hair, he had caught a glimpse of its owner polishing the large blade and wanted a closer look.

Approaching the man, Kane bowed and introduced himself respectfully, "Good evening, I am Kane, might I ask who you are?" The man looked up at him with a polite smile before answering, "Good evening to you as well, Kane. As for who I am, my name is William Slate, though you can call me Will." Kane nodded slowly before speaking, "alright Will. I must confess, I'm not over here solely for conversation; I have a passion for weapon design and saw you with your sword, thought I might come over and try to get a closer look, if that's alright at least." Will smiled, "of course, I too adore weapons of all kinds, I'd be happy to indulge you if you'll indulge me by listening to me ramble on about my weapons." Kane had no qualms with this and indicated Will to proceed.

William stood and began talking, explaining his weapon thoroughly, "The sword is Krieg, the shield is Frieden. They are both forged from a custom-made alloy that is many times stronger than steel, and very light by comparison. Krieg also contains a custom dust pistol firing explosive dust rounds. Frieden can expand horizontally and vertically going from buckler to tower shield quickly and easily, increasing my defensive capabilities when needed. In instances where greater hitting power is required, I can combine these two elegant killing tools into a fearsome battle axe I call Einheit." he demonstrated this, sheathing sword within shield, and swing the whole thing backwards away from him. The shield rotated 180 degrees and slid up the length of the blade, whose tip spread exposing the dust pistol's barrel, locking the shield in place. The rest of the sword's blade folded, removing sharp edges and allowing William to use the full length of the weapon when swinging and carrying it without injuring his hands.

Kane was in awe, it was a beautifully lethal instrument of war. William allowed him to hold the now separated pair as he explained the name. "Krieg and Frieden; War and Peace," Kane quickly found the switch that allowed the change in form and didn't hesitate to summon the brutal looking axe, "Einheit," continued William, "means Unity." Returning the sword and shield to their owner exactly as he had been given them, Kane made his first comments about the pair, "I love them, the design is efficient, lethal; nothing about it exists just as an aesthetic item. All in all, they're wonderful." William beamed at the compliment, he was very proud of them, and loved hearing positive comments about them. He also enjoyed hearing people insult them, but for different reasons, in those scenarios he would duel the offending person to show them just how good they were. Money was the only thing he had found more effective at quickly influencing people than shows of force. Kane and Will sat together and discussed weapon designs they liked, though as time dragged on, Kane couldn't but wonder what Luna was up to; he hadn't seen her for hours.

Danica sat upon a sleeping on the dining hall floor, the makeshift bedding providing a soft barrier between her and the cold stone floor. Music from her headphones filled her head with screaming guitars and crashing drums, all the while she mouthed the singers words, the song was a duet, it spoke of heartbreak caused by the second singer's "death". Glancing around the dimly lit room, she noticed a green-hair girl sitting by herself; she was reading a book of some sort, and seemed rather lonely. Running her fingers through the scarlet hair upon her head, she made a decision and stood, turning off her music and sliding the headphones down around her neck. She casually crossed the distance between them and stood above the other girl, a smile on her face.

"Hey there," she said in a friendly tone, "you looked awful lonely from where I was sitting, thought maybe you'd like some company?" Yellow eyes looked up at her, rather surprised at the sudden greeting. "Uh, sure," came the quiet reply, "That would be nice actually." Danica sat as the girl (who was a Faunus as it turned out) marked her page and set the book down. The redhead spoke first, introducing herself, "I'm Danica, Danica Carnelian; what's your name?" The faunus hesitated a moment before replying "Luna Pines, nice to meet you Danica." Luna was a little timid, but mostly just quiet and softspoken, she liked people, but it was hard to make friends when she had been bullied so much as a child for having a tail. Danica chuckled, "right back atcha Luna," a smile spread across her face, " ya know, I'd be willing to bet that we'll be friends by the end of the week." Returning her smile, Luna replied "I… I think I'd like that." The two proceeded to talk for a while, before someone called "Lights out!" and Danica had to return to her own bed. The two wished each other luck in the exam in the morning.

Hey, so that's the end of chapter 2, next time, things get exciting as our heroes enter the Emerald Forest. Let me know what you think, your feedback is important to me.


	3. Chapter 3: Flights and Fights

**Chapter 3: Flights and Fights**

 **(See end of chapter for notes)**

Beacon was busy that morning, dozens of first years students rushed about trying to find their weapons, combat gear, and any ammunition that they needed for the quickly approaching exam. Kane felt lucky in that he had kept his weapons, _Stinging Nemesis_ , on him the previous night, the twin bracers buried in the bottom of his luggage. His combat gear had likewise been buried in his suitcase; the outfit consisted of armoured boots, greaves on his legs, shoulder plates, and guards for his upper arms over top his usual yellow jacket and slim-cut black pants. He buckled Nemesis over top of the jacket as well, the yellow of the weapon's body blending into the jacket, the only indication of its presence was the grey of the blades' edges and the black image of a snake and a scorpion on each weapon. He checked to make sure the weapons were still operating properly, running through the different hand and arm movements that served to change it's form, the pieces of the blades sliding together and forward before locking into place at his wrists without a hitch. A malfunction in the intricate mechanisms would take hours to repair, and could prove fatal in combat depending on the situation. Satisfied they were working properly, he returned them to their collapsed position and engaged the safety. Donning the armour plates, Kane headed for the locker room, searching for the one that had been assigned to him.

William buckled a steel pauldron in place on his right shoulder over top a grey collared jacket, a leather-palmed gauntlet , elbow guard, and a piece for his upper arm joined it. Black leather combat boots were aced up securely, before steel greaves , and plates covering his thighs and knees were affixed to his legs over dark grey jeans; the polished surface of the steel shone in the light. _Krieg_ and _Frieden_ hung on his back from a strap running over his right shoulder, the other end secured to his opposite hip. Unsheathing the blade, he loaded a clip into the proper slot in the pommel with a _click_ ; more clips were secured inside a pouch on his belt. He sheathed the blade, and synced the lockers GPS to his Scroll before heading out to the cliff where the exam would be held.

Luna retrieved her gear from the locker where she had stashed it the night before and began slipping on the various items. She slid leather bracers over the sleeves of a loose-fitting white shirt before sticking her arms and head into a chest piece composed of a stiff leather corset and shoulder pads made of the same material. The armour was lightweight and only vaguely form fitting, she adjusted the straps securing everything in place before stretching and rolling her shoulders, confirming that she had full-range of motion. She finished the set with a pair of brown calf-length leather boots, and hard leather greaves to protect her legs from the knees down, wearing them over slim-cut grey pants. The green and brown armour had been a present from her father when she graduated, and this was her first time wearing it into combat. She was pleased with how it looked and felt when she wore it; the pieces were lightweight and allowed complete movement, but they felt sturdy enough to protect her from claws or fangs should her aura run out in a fight. She reached into the locker and removed the final item, her weapon _Equinox_. It was a leaf-bladed shortsword, roughly 3 feet in length, but this was not its primary form. Equinox could unfold its blade, transforming it into a bow-action pistol, a drawstring acted as the trigger and firing mechanism; a revolving dust chamber could be switched between ice, fire, lightning, or wind types, charging the rounds with the selected effect. She slid a clip into place near the blade, and slid more into loops on the armour, having enough ammunition to fight off a sizable horde of Grimm when she finally left the locker room, weapon slung from her back.

Being the nimble fighter she was, Danica wore only a light Flakjacket, leather boots,knee and elbow pads, and black fingerless gloves; trusting in the strength of her aura and her ability to avoid incoming attacks for everything else. Under her sparse armour, she wore a red hoodie, black t-shirt, and tight black shorts made from an elastic fabric that didn't restrict her movement; her hair was up in a ponytail, leaving only a few strands to hang in front of her face . Fashion took a back seat in favor of comfort and functionality during combat scenarios. She fastened her weapon, a rifle/double-bladed longsword named _Scarlet Ombre_ , to the back of her vest. She had already loaded it, and filled several of the vests pockets with the special drum-mags her weapon required. She left the room, pausing only to check-out some cute blonde boy who was just now entering to find his locker. She couldn't help but smirk, he was cute; he returned the look when he caught her looking him over. She giggled coyly and turned on her heel, leaving the locker room for the cliffs that were to host the exam.

When all the students had arrived, they were directed to stand on large metal plates lying on the ground as Ozpin began speaking to the gathered first years, "For years you have trained to become warriors, and today your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest. Once you enter the forest, the first person you make eye contact with will be your partner for the next 4 years. After you've partnered up, make your way to the northern end of the forest. You will meet opposition along the way. Do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path... or you will die."

Ozpin also spoke of relics within the forest that they must find and return to him in order to pass. He wished them all luck, and then most of the students realized what it was they were standing on, they were launch pads. Students began being launched off to Kane's left, and he adjusted his stance in preparation, flicking the safeties off of Nemesis. The students to his right all made similar preparations.

Kane heard a mechanical hissing from below his feet, then he was launched off the cliff, rolling in the air so he flew feet first. Grinning, he let himself soar for a few seconds, then used the whips built into Nemesis' design to latch onto a large tree branch; he began to quickly reel himself in, letting momentum swing him around the bottom of the branch before releasing the hooks. He rolled to his feet upon landing, Heart pounding from the experience, he waited and let himself calm down before making his way deeper into the woods.

William activated his semblance mid flight, holding his shield out in front of him as he hurtled for the ground. He felt his aura weaken as he reduced the effects of gravity on himself and he slowed down greatly. He struck the ground shield first, and rolled forward, ending in a low crouch. He could already hear the sounds of fighting coming from deeper within the forest, so unsheathing his blade, he pressed on.

Luna deployed her weapon mid air, the bow springing to life in her hand. Dust cycled through from ice to air and locked in with a click. Adjusting her hold on the bow, the weapon lying parallel to the ground; she took aim and fired at the ground below her. A sizable twister erupted from where the slug impacted the ground, slowing her downward momentum and lowering her to the ground slowly before dissipating. Flicking back to lightning dust, she scanned the forest, bow drawn and ready to fire should something leap out at her. When no attack came, she cautiously set off into the woods, excited to see who her teammates would be.

Danica whooped and hollered as she sailed across the sky, this is why she was a huntress. Flicking her weapon to extend the lethal parallel blades, she took aim at an approaching tree and fired a secondary trigger. Ombre's body shot out, bound to her by a strong tether, and sank into a branch on the massive oak tree. Reeling the line in, she flew towards it, and swinging down around the tree limb and landed on top of the branch. Pulling the primary trigger, her rifle fired once, freeing itself of the massive branch and swung around back to her hand, reconnecting with its other half.

A voice from below startled her, "Hey up there!" Glancing down, she spotted the silver haired man from back on the cliff. Dropping from the tree, she landed in front of him before responding. "Hey there, I guess we're partners then?"

"Indeed we are, my name is William, call me Will" came his reply, smiling pleasantly. "Well Will, I'm Danica, it's nice to meet you." The pair shook hands before seeting off together into the woods.

Kane was startled to feel a tap on his shoulder, accompanied by a quiet "Fancy meeting you here." He turned and found himself looking at Luna, her bow in hand, "Heh, yeah, I guess we're on the same team then?" She nodded in reply, opening her mouth to say something, but then she stopped, She could hear something in the bushes to their left. Motioning with her head, she alerted Kane to the presence, knowing that his ears wouldn't have picked up on the sound. He turned to face whatever was creeping up on them.

A massive Beowolf leaped from its hiding spot in the brush towards them, teeth and claws bared in attack. Kane prepared a stab that would stop the beast in its tracks, but it never came to be. in a flash of silver and blue, its head was cleaved from its shoulders.

"Hey, Danica! I found someone! Afternoon, Kane" greeted a smiling Will, then he noticed Luna, "And hello to you as well, miss… Luna?" The enthusiasm drained from his voice, replaced by shame, he had forgotten her name and clearly felt bad about it. Luna pretended not to notice, returning his greeting warmly. Danica came slinking out of the bushes behind Will, sword in hand. "Hey Luna, hey Blondie" she called playfully. Luna introduced her to Kane, and vice versa, and with pleasantries out of the way, the four set out together, deciding that it would double their odds of safely reaching their objective.

They met little resistance during their travel, nothing more than a handful of beowolves and ursa which they dispatched easily enough.. They exited the forest into a clearing, where they could see an incredible sight; teams RWBY and JNPR were fighting a pair of colossal Grimm. The girls had their hands full with a Nevermore, while Jaune and his crew squared off against a Deathstalker. It was impressive to see, the teams had probably known each other only a few minutes, yet they were already fighting as one.

The show was interrupted as something big, and very angry crashed through the woods towards the four students in the clearing. As the massive beast finally came out into the open, Kane readied himself for a fight as another Deathstalker, just as large as the one engaged with Jaune's team, reared it's ugly head. They backed off, farther into the clearing, everyone looking to each other to see if anyone had a plan. Kane had taken his companions abilities into account as they had made their way to the clearing, so he quickly came up with something.

"Let's get to work, people!" he shouted, dodging out of the way of the beasts lethal stinger. At some point during the fight, their minds seemed to sync, and they began acting out the plan Kane had formulated without more than a few words shared between them. Luna fired ice charged rounds at it's legs, freezing it to the ground. Kane slashed at its stinger as it missed and plunged into the dirt, severing it completely. As the tail rose back up, Danica grabbed hold of it and rode it to it's peak. Will assembled _Einheit_ as he rushed the beast, Kane stopped attacking its claws with Luna to grab William in his whips and throw him high. Danica and William dropped onto its head in unison; both warrior's blades sinking deep into it's flesh, Will's axe breaking through the armoured shell, and Danica's sword penetrating deep. The Deathstalker let out a shriek as it died, pitched over onto its side in a heap.

They celebrated briefly before making their way to the relics waiting for them in the ruins. only two left; a matching set of chess pieces. They rested a moment, everyone exhausted from the fight they just finished. "We work well as a team" commented a tired Kane, the others agreed. They had worked surprisingly well together, weapons and abilities combining to efficiently slay the beast. They returned to their feet a few moments later and made their way back to the school to find out what team they would be assigned to.

"Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, and Yang Xiao Long. You will be team RWBY, Ruby Rose will assume the role of leader." Ozpin announced, there was clapping from the assembled students, then he continued, "Kane Chrysós, Luna Pines, William Slate, and Danica Carnelian will make up team KLWD, with Mr Chrysós as team leader. Congratulations." More cheering from the crowd. The four students turned to each other, not surprised at the decision to put them on a team together, but Kane was certainly shocked that he had been chosen as team leader. "I'll do my best, team" he said with a smile, his voice lacked it's usual self-confident bravado, but that's to be expected when you suddenly have the lives of 3 other people resting on your shoulders; when a single bad decision could put anyone of them in the hospital or worse. Sensing his distress, Luna put a hand on his shoulder, "You'll be a great leader, Kane." He perked up a little at the remark, nodding in agreement. _So begins the tale of Team KLWD_ he thought excited, a smile spreading across his face.

 **Notes:**

" **KLWD" is pronounced "cloud"; if anyone has a question about the weapons or anything else in the story, let me know in the comments and I will happily answer them so long as they won't spoil anything.**

 **Thanks for reading, feel free to leave a review, your feedback will help greatly.**


	4. Chapter 4: Getting to know you

**Chapter 4: Getting to know you.**

 **Summary:** **The members of team KLWD get to know each other.**

The newly formed team stood in the doorway to their room, looking in upon four beds that had been crammed inside, making the small room seem even smaller. It's not like they hadn't expected this; one of the staff members had informed them that teams would have to squeeze all four members into one room as there was not enough rooms for any other arrangement. The four teens stepped inside, placing their bags down out of the way against a wall, trying to decide how to best make this work. Luckily Kane seemed to have an idea that would work in everyone's favour.

"Will, could you help me move these?" he asked, taking hold of the far end of one of the beds. Will followed his lead, grabbing the end nearest him and the two boys lifted it off the ground. "Ok, now stack it on the one to your left," he managed to grunt out, "Luna, could you make sure this is lined up properly for us?" In this fashion, they managed to stack the first pair of beds, the corners lining up easily. Kane kept politely giving orders, getting Danica to hold his end where it was as he retrieved some things from his bags. He returned with a battery operated drill, a small box of screws, and a roll of duct tape; his teammates all raising their eyebrows as if to ask where he'd gotten the objects. "One of my bags is a small tool box, has some tools and spare parts in case I break my weapons and the weapon shop is closed for some reason." he explained hastily.

Getting to work, he first bound the legs of the top bed to the head and foot boards of the one below, making a temporary connection that he then reinforced by driving screws into the two beds where they connected. Giving his work a good shake, he smiled, satisfied that it would hold. They repeated the process with the last two beds, creating a second set of makeshift bunks.

"There, that should do until we can get some real bunk beds or something." Kane stated, matter of factly.

"Indeed… not that it really matters now, but are you sure this will be strong enough?" William inquired, giving the beds a look of distrust.

"I'm willing to bet that it's sturdier than what our classmates have come up with, if that counts." came his confident reply, the blonde haired teen throwing himself onto one of the bottom bunks. "Girls get the top bunks, so declares your fearless leader," a grin spread across his face as he spoke, he pre-empted their questions by way of saying "you two probably weigh less than Will and I, so it'll put less strain on the connections."

Danica and Luna had to concede his point. He was right, they both weighed less than the boys on their team. After unpacking, it was still relatively early in the evening, hours before curfew would come into effect. Kane decided that it would be best to get proper introductions out of the way now, seeing as they had plenty of time to spare.

"So, I was thinking," he began, getting their attention, "if we're going to be on a team, not to mention living together for the next four years, we should probably get to know each other a little. Just the basic stuff ya know? Full name, where you're from, birthday, anything you want to share about yourselves really."

"Blondie's got a point;" Danica chimed in, "I'd feel a lot more comfortable sharing a room if I knew who was in it with me." their other teammates agreed to the suggestion without much hesitation, sharing in Danica's sentiments.

Their leader volunteered to go first, as it had been his idea.

"My name is Kane Chrysós, I'm 17, my birthday is the twenty-seventh of April, and I'm from a small town on Patch. I have training in various forms of martial arts, but I'm a black belt in Kung Fu: I also know Judo, Aikido, Tai Chi, Boxing & kickboxing, and Taekwondo. My mother, Laena Dusk, was a huntress, though she now works as a teacher and the Weapons-Master at Signal Academy. My father runs a popular restaurant named " _Dimitri's_ " after himself; it serves popular foods from all four kingdoms, specialising in Mistrali dishes." He also explained the nature of his semblance and its limitations, also saying "If any of you spar with me, I will gladly keep myself from using my semblance if you ask me to. I wouldn't want to give myself an advantage while practicing."

Luna took the initiative and began speaking once it was clear that Kane was done.

"My name is Luna Pines, I'm also 17. My birthday is May third, and I'm from Vale. I went to Signal with Kane. My father is Edward Pines and was a huntsman before I was born, he currently teaches at Signal Academy. My mother owns a flower shop in Vale. My father is a Faunus, he passed down deer traits to me, which is why I have a tail. My mother is a human." she paused before continuing, her voice filling with pride, "My semblance allows me to hit a target with any ranged weapon, at any distance. It's only limited by the weapon's capabilities, and I obviously can't fire a weapon I can't lift. It also doesn't affect targets in cover, so I can't hit a target I can't see. There's no projectile control involved, if they move as I fire in a way that I didn't account for, I'll probably miss. My mind is able to process all the variables to find the correct trajectory to hit a target, whether moving or standing still."

Danica and Will seemed genuinely impressed, if dubious; they both looked to Kane for validation of her claim.

"She forgot to mention, if she's using a foreign weapon it can take up to five shots for her to memorize the correct variables and accurately make the necessary calculations. She can't just pick up a random gun and fire it like she's been using it for years." Luna blushes a little, embarrassed that she forgot such a detail. Regardless, their teammates seem impressed by her hidden talent.

William went next, everyone looking at him expectantly.

"William Slate, I'm 17, and my birthday is August seventeenth. I hail from Atlas where My parents own one of Remnants largest military technology company, _Slate Industries_. I happen to be the heir to the company, much in the way Miss Weiss is heiress to the Schnee Dust Company. Speaking of Schnee, our two companies have been in league for many years; we buy dust from them, they buy weapons, armor, and demolition charges from us. We have worked together on multiple contracts for the Atlesian Military. Slate Industries also has branches at the Law Enforcement, and Civilian levels; providing arms and armor for both respectively. My father taught me how to fight, as he was trained as a hunter at the Atlesian Military Academy before assuming the role of CEO when my grandfather retired some years later. My semblance allows me to control gravity to a certain extent; I cannot levitate myself, objects, or other people, but I can make them weightless for a short time. Alternatively, I can drastically increase the gravity applied to an object or person that I maintain physical contact with. My semblance allows me to lift objects many times my size, in exchange for a piece of my aura. I can lift nothing bigger than a large car, and doing so is exhausting, depleting nearly half my aura in the process." He watched them, waiting for a reaction to what he had said, but received nothing more than nods.

"That's why your name was so familiar to me, I've heard it in tabloids and such back home. Never paid them any attention mind you." Kane remarked dryly.

"I guess it's my turn then…" sighed Danica. "My name is Danica Carnelian, but you can call me Dani if it's easier. I'm 16, and my birthday is October nineteenth. I was raised by my Aunt and Uncle in Mistral. He runs an Auto repair shop in the city, and she works as a detective with local law enforcement in the city." She hesitates before continuing, as if the next words were physically painful to speak, "My parents died when I was young, it's… not something I like to speak about; but they were hunters. I decided to become a huntress and follow in their footsteps. I attended Sanctum Academy until I graduated this past summer. My semblance is the ability to make myself intangible for a short period of time by sacrificing a small part of my aura. It affects anything I contact directly that I wish to make intangible; I cannot be harmed or do direct harm to an opponent while using my semblance. I also have the ability to make someone else intangible with me if I grab them before or after activation and will my ability to affect them as well. Doing it too much quickly drains my aura and tires me out."

"Wow, that seems handy; making yourself ethereal during a fight" commented Will. He paused for a moment, "I'm… sorry to hear about your parents." his sympathies were echoed by Kane and Luna.

"Thank you. I accepted their deaths many years ago, the died as they lived; as heroes." She smiled as she spoke, mind straying to happier places and happier times.

They moved away from the painful subject in favor of more pleasant ones. The two locals asked many questions about Mistral and Atlas, neither of them having been lucky enough to travel there; they were curious as to what they were like. Of course, Dani and Will both had questions of their own for Kane, mostly in regards to life on Patch. Will also asked Luna several questions about her bow, curious as to how it worked. Many of his questions were difficult to answer without the weapon being present to show him exactly what she meant; she promised to show him its secrets in the training room sometime, stating that several of the answers he sought were things to be shown, not discussed.

As sleep began to seduce them with thoughts of soft beds and pleasant dreams, The four teens began getting ready for bed. The boys left the room long enough for the girls to change. Danica elected for her red tank-top and a pair of grey sleep pants. She earned a snicker from Luna when she removed the restrictive sports bra she had been wearing all day, exclaiming "Release the Kraken!" as she pulled the offending garment over her head.

Luna was regretting her taste in cute sleepwear, most of what she had packed were loose nightgowns; not exactly ideal when sleeping on the top bunk in a co-ed dorm. The was especially true seeing as she could tell that she would need assistance getting in and out of bed, the bunk just out of her reach. She sighed, that was a bridge she would cross when she got there. She had just finished changing and made an attempt to climb into her bunk, her diminutive stature working against her once more. A chuckle emanated from behind her, and she squeaked in surprise as she felt a pair of strong hand on her waist; looking back over her shoulder it was revealed to be Danica who owned the hands that now helped lift her into the bunk.

"Uh, thanks Dani"

"Not a problem, stretch." Danica grinned at her use of the teasingly ironic nickname for the fun-sized Faunus. "I like that... _Stretch_ , I'll need to remember that."

Danica made her way over to her bunk, Calling out to the boys as she did. "You can come in now boys."

They returned to the room as Dani hopped up into her bunk. Kane and Will began to get changed, pausing when they noticed the redhead watching them from her bed.

"Like something you see Dani?" Kane asked as he tore his shirt off and flexed.

William scoffed, "I highly doubt that, there's not much of you to see. I however," He likewise discarded his shirt and flexed, muscles bulging, "do not have that problem."

Danica looked at between the two magnificent specimens before her, unable to decide which she liked more; the slim but powerful build of the martial artist, or the muscle bound heir. She glanced up and noticed that Luna wasn't watching the wonderful show. That wouldn't stand.

"I don't know boys, I'm having a hard time deciding... What do you think Luna?" she asked with a smirk. The petite Faunus looked like she might pass out as she looked up to see the boys turn around and face her.

"I-I, uh…. I don't, or dear…." she stammered, trying to find words as the blood rushed to her face.

"You neither huh? I guess that settles it, you're both hunks." came Danica teasingly, snickering as Luna attempted to quell the burning in her cheeks.

Kane and William resumed putting on their bed clothes; Kane throwing on a yellow t-shirt and black sweatpants, William deciding on a set of silver silken pajamas, his emblem stitched onto one side of his chest, name monogrammed on the other in graceful cursive. They turned out the lights and settled in, a quiet chorus of "goodnight" filling the room before dreams overtook them, bodies and minds free to rest after the long and tiring day.

Tomorrow would be the first day of regular classes, and they'd all need their rest. Rest that would get increasingly hard to obtain in the coming weeks.

 **A/N:** **Thanks for reading, Feel free to leave a comment if you have any questions for me, or if you want to give feedback. Your support is appreciated, and I will happily answer your questions.**


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